Frankfurt report: Part I

With the Frankfurt auto show in full swing, we bring you the latest on the new models, starting with the VW Group:

Porsche Mission E – a gorgeous quasi-4-door that owes more to the iconic 959 than it does to the Portly Panamera. While the looks are unlikely to ever make production (tiny 4-doors don’t sell, just ask Aston Martin), the electric powertrain it previews sounds like it could give the Tesla Model S a run for its money.

Verdict: HIT (so much so I had to include a second picture)

Audi E-tron Quattro Concept – after the Porsche Mission E Audi’s electric car statement looks rather ordinary by comparison. And that is a huge problem – more than the technology this is meant to preview the sleek style of the Q6, but do you really want one? You know, the way you wanted the Audi Avantissimo when they showed it back in ? Didn’t think so…

Verdict: MISS

Seat Cross Sport – many people will complain that this is the laziest concept of them all, but I actually love it. To me this is the car that the Range Rover Evoque wants us to think it is – semi-rugged, 4wd, great performance from 280HP+. What’s not to like?

Verdict: HIT

VW Tiguan – given that this car was never going to break any stylistic records the end product is rather handsome, with sharp lines and a more powerful version of the VW grille that manages to avoid being gauche like the Audi E-Tron Quattro’s face. Squint and you’ll see shades of the Mk II BMW X5 in the rear 3/4s.

Verdict: HIT

Lamborghini Huracan Spyder – at a time when we were worried that Lamborghini was going all soft and predictable it went out and gave us the Huracan Spyder… and now we know for sure it’s gone soft and predictable. Sure, it looks as good as a open version of the Huracan was always going to look, but where is the surprise, where is the drama?

Verdict: MISS

Bugatti Vision Gran Tourisimo – what are the first words that come to your mind when you hear “Bugatti”? Ridiculously expensive? Ridiculously fast? Well, the Vision Gran Tourisimo has both in spades. Pity it forgot the third, arguably most important part – Bugattis are meant to be elegant, and not look like overdrawn Hot Wheel cars…

Verdict: MISS

Bentley Bentayga – Bentley really had an easy job styling this one – make it look better than the ghastly EXF9 concept and the ungainly Q7 donor car. Well, they succeeded, but only barely… this is really not good enough! Sure, they will still sell boatloads of these, but come on – this could have been special, and instead we get a generic rehash of 15-year-old design cues on a whale-sized SUV…

Verdict: MISS

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About Krzysztof Wozniak

Kriss grew up in Poland reading German car magazines, before moving to England and graduating to the British magazines, which he still considers the best in the world and continues reading them after he'd moved to the US. In college he promised himself he's buy himself a used Porsche before he turned 30 (not to be accused of having a mid-life crisis), but instead family needs dictated a Subaru Outback. Still waiting for that perfect moment to buy a used 2008-ish Cayman...
You can find all his articles Here.

@Tuga – the Evoque may be be more of a 4×4 than most fashion-centric SUVs, but it still has road-biased tires, shitty road clearance and approach angles, not to mention the kind of painted bumpers you really don’t want to dent. And most people will buy it without even considering that – just like most 1-series buyers don’t even know their car isn’t FWD.

If by road clearance you mean ground clearance, the Evoque is far from shitty at 215mm. A Leon XPerience has 172mm. It does come with black painted bumpers and side protections though, is that what you mean by rugged? Because if you’re saying that the Evoque is a poseur, well… i very much doubt anyone would buy this 3 door Leon for anything else besides the way that it looks.